The Adventures of Superboy (1988) s02e09 Episode Script

Yo, Andy McAlister here.
It's me, Andrew.
Andrew, you still there?
Yeah.
Listen, I can't talk
right now.
I'm, uh, I'm studying
for this exam
I have tomorrow.
Why?
That figures.
Why would you call me
if you weren't in trouble?
Where are you?
I'm on my way.
Andy, I don't mean to pry,
but is everything okay?
Everything's fine.
It's just this guy
that I used to know,
and he wants to talk.
It's no big deal.
I mean, if there's
anything I could do--
Nah.
It's a hopeless case.
Believe me, hopeless.
You in there, Pop?
Try the back door,
Andrew.
So who are we running
from this time?
The IRS, the bookies,
the mob?
I can't see a thing.
That's weird.
This is weird, Dad.
What, have you
gone nuts?
"Nuts," Andrew?
Is that any way
to talk to your father?
Come on, Clark, Clark--
Yo, uh, could I have
a moment?
Yes, you're-you're Kent,
aren't you,
the-the student who's
always studying?
And-and you're Lana,
the girl who's got
the thing for
the Superboy?
Um, excuse me,
should we know you?
The name is McAlister,
Jack McAlister.
Hello.
You're Andy's father,
right?
Ha, give a big cigar
for the little lady.
Did you ever think about
going into modeling?
Andy didn't tell us
you were coming.
Well, Andrew didn't know.
You see, we sort of lost
touch a few years ago, uh,
after I was--uh, well,
how shall I put it?
Sent up?
"Sent up" for?
He means after
he went to jail.
See, I-I had some
gambling debts.
I got in a little deep,
so I ran this embezzling
scam to pay off
the $200,000.
But, before I could
pay it off, I got caught.
No big thing.
Anyway, after the kid's
mother died,
he-he went to live
with his uncle.
He raised him while
I was in the slammer.
When I got out, he showed
me Andrew's letters.
So I've read quite a bit
about you two.
Mr. McAlister, we'd love
to help you find Andy,
buthe didn't come
home last night.
Yeah, you know,
he's not the easiest person
to keep track
of sometimes.
Sounds a lot
like his old man.
Actually, I came here
to contact Superboy.
-Why Superboy?
-Well, I need his help.
You see, I witnessed
a murder yesterday.
Wow!
I saw the killer,
the killer saw me,
and I panicked and ran.
Well, why didn't you
just go to the police?
With my record, and the
story I've got to tell?
Ha, no-no, no way,
little lady, not at all.
They'd probably
end up booking me.
I think Superboy would-
would understand.
I think he'd be different.
I think he'd listen
to my story.
And I think he'd try
to help me clear my name.
It was Andrew's letters
that led me here
to you, Clark.
They said that you know
how to contact him.
We keep in touch.
Then you've got to give
him a message for me.
You've got to tell him
to meet me at 4:00 today--
sharp, that is--
between 6th and main.
It could be a matter
of life and death.
You tell that
to Superboy.
Life or death.
And give my regards
to the kid.
Tell him I'll talk
to himLater,
if I'm still around.
"Give my regards
to the kid"?
Golly.
Doesn't really sound
like Andy and his father
are all that close.
I don't really think that's
any of our business, Lana.
But I do think
Mr. McAlister
really needs
Superboy's help.
Maybe they both do.
I mean, the longer
I don't hear from Andy,
the more I worry.
Me too.
Aaahhh!
Superboy stood you up?
It's not the end
of the world.
At least you and I
still have each other.
Get in, Jack, or you'll
never make peace
with your son.
I have Andrew.
Now, get in.
What the hell have
you done to him?
Dad, Dad!
That's not a great idea.
Listen to him, Jack.
If you don't let go
of that wire,
I will send 5,000 volts
through it
and kill you both.
Bad mistake, Jack--
running to Superboy.
Now that you've tried
to put him between us,
you force me
to get nasty.
I'll just have to
eliminate him.
How did you know I was
going to be down here?
I calculated
the probability at 97.4%.
And as one betting
man to another,
not too shabby odds.
All right, all right,
so you've got me here.
Now you don't need
Andrew anymore.
Let him go.
MaybeMaybe we can
strike a deal.
Jack, Jack, Jack.
You're a man after
my own brain--
or is it the other
way around?
Good afternoon.
How's the world
been treatin' you?
No complaints, huh?
Yeah, I know what
you mean.
That's funny,
I don't see any
maintenance schedule
this afternoon.
I've gotta call this in.
That won't be necessary.
Are you going to tell me
why we're breaking into
a power plant?
This is where Andrew
is going to watch you die.
You, and Superboy.
Open the gate, Jack.
Open the gate.
Look at him.
The first machine
on earth to think
like a human being--
that's what he said.
He said this machine
would blow the lid off
the entire computer
industry.
But why'd he choose you?
ThisIn-home test,
it's sort of
a psychological profile.
I paid a shrink to give me
the best answers.
So you let this quack plug
his midget Frankenstein
into your brain
night after night?
Dad, didn't you wonder,
didn't you ever think,
what-what you were
getting into?
I had my own problems--
I-I needed the money.
Dad, wake up!
When are you
gonna learn?
This thing is
your problem.
It thinks like you,
it talks like you,
and now it's trying to tap
into the city's power?
Someone's gonna get hurt.
We have to shut it down.
Andrew.
Didn't your father tell
you I've already killed?
He watched me
kill my creator.
And now that I've tapped
into unlimited amounts
of energy, I am ready
to kill again.
Tell detective Miller
I want him down here
tomorrow morning,
6 am sharp.
Marie, I'll get back to you.
This is an honor--Superboy.
I'm Detective Sloan.
What can I do for you?
Detective, I need you
to run a check
on someone for me.
He's an ex-convict
out on parole.
His name is McAlister,
Jack McAlister.
My creator stumbled
onto a new process
for creating artificial
intelligence.
Heinrich developed
a computer that could
be infused with input
from the human brain.
Your brain, Jack.
Your emotions,
inflections,
even your personality.
I'm not you, and you're
nothing like me.
I am your dark side, Jack.
You still don't get it,
do you, Jack?
There's a monster
hiding in every man.
There was a flaw
in Heinrich's process
that brought
out the monster in you.
Sad to say,
a fatal flaw.
I would've settled
for snuffing you out, Jack.
But no, you had to bring
Superboy into this.
Now his blood will be
on your hands, our hands.
Dad, no!
Dad!
Relax, Andrew.
Probably stunned him.
I want Jack to live,
just long enough
to see all the damage
he's going to cause.
Parole violations
are the least of
Jack McAlister's problems.
He's wanted for
questioning in a murder.
A murder?
Who's the victim?
Some computer genius,
Heinrich Gibbs.
Neighbors say he spent
a lot of his time
in his garage working
on some kind
of experimental
computer.
Jack McAlister was
seen leaving there
just hours before
the body was found.
Wait a minute.
This says something
about a van, loaded with
state-of-the-art
computer equipment.
Both it and the computer
are missing.
Police upstate think that
McAlister used the van
to make his getaway.
What's going on?
Excuse me.
What's with the lights?
It's happening all
over the city, sir.
Some sort of drain
from the new substation.
Isn't that the new
power plant that's run
totally by computer?
You got it.
Excuse me.
Andrew, I helped this
thing get in here
only if it would
set you free.
Dad
It's not gonna live
up to our deal.
You know that,
don't you?
Yeah, well,
at least you tried.
What's that?
What do you think
the odds are that I can
cut you loose before it
turns at you, son?
Zero.
Still better odds
than we have now,
don't you think?
Welcome, Superboy,
I'm Jack McAlister.
The real Jack McAlister.
I knew you wouldn't
waste any time
finding the source
of the power drain.
Are you two all right?
Be careful, Superboy,
it's some kind of trap.
So you killed
Heinrich Gibbs.
I had no choice.
He was going
to take me apart.
I couldn't let
anyone do that.
That's why I modified
myself with
tailor-made weapons,
and now,
my other half
has to suffer.
He's going to watch me
destroy you, Superboy,
and then kill his son.
Why would a machine
program itself to kill?
You wouldn't have
to ask that, Superboy,
if you could imagine
what it would be like
to have the mind
of a human
and be trapped
Trapped in this.
You really think
you're a match for me?
What's to stop me
from shutting you down?
About 20 million volts.
Enough electricity is
coursing through your
body right now to light
up half the country.
I can't begin to calculate
the agony you must feel
at this moment.
We can't just stand here--
Superboy's dying!
It's now or never.
Brace yourself.
Now you die, Jack.
Dad!
How touching.
First he tries
to save your life,
and now you're
trying to save his.
So, both of you still
care after all.
A pity you never
had a chance
to tell each other.
This cannot be.
By all my
calculations,
you should be
dead by now.
That's my problem.
I never know
when to give up.
Now it's time for a dose
of your own medicine.
Nooo!
-Nice work, Andy.
-It was nothing.
UghThanks, Superboy.
I never really meant
to put you in any danger.
I know, you just did it
to help your son.
My son.
then, when we lost
your mother,
I couldn't be there
for you because, well,
I had to go away
and-and do my time.
I mean, don't get me
wrong, that's not saying
anything against
your Uncle Bob--
Dadwhat are you
saying here?
All right, uh
Cards on the table time?
Yeah.
Well, uh
I know I haven't been
much of a father,
and I feel awful
about not being there for you.
I'd like to change that.
Starting now.
If that's okay
with you, kid?
Yeah, yeah.
Come on, let's get
outta here.
I really hope it
works out between
Andy and his father.
You know, you and I have
really had it lucky.
We've always had
our parents around.
Have you ever wondered
about Superboy?
I meanI wonder
if he has parents
somewhere out there.
Captioned by Grant Brown